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blogthatbook's review against another edition
4.0
I'm loving this world, Mr Clark truly has something quite unique here.
This book is the second offering in an alternate Cairo of 1912 series. This time out we join a new cast of characters from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, and although I was hoping to revisit with Agent Fatma, from the first book, I quickly came to enjoy this new duo.
The author was able to take a lot more time to linger in this story, lavish a little more detail and character into the goings-on and to expand upon his world, but managed not to force-feed us too much. Again, in this book as he did in its predecessor, the duo's sidekick steals a lot of the limelight by virtue of his character, he simply jumps off the page with depth, yes, even more intriguing than the main character. Which I personally very much enjoy, it gives the starring characters a far better dynamic as a team I think, as the main character doesn't dominate your thoughts when contemplating what may be over the next page.
If I were to choose which book is best, Dead Djinn in Cairo or The Haunting of Tram Car 015, I would have to admit the former wins. But this isn't a competition, both books are fantastic reads. And I appreciate the fact that you could read each independently of the other. This all bodes well for the upcoming full length novel, and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
This book is the second offering in an alternate Cairo of 1912 series. This time out we join a new cast of characters from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, and although I was hoping to revisit with Agent Fatma, from the first book, I quickly came to enjoy this new duo.
The author was able to take a lot more time to linger in this story, lavish a little more detail and character into the goings-on and to expand upon his world, but managed not to force-feed us too much. Again, in this book as he did in its predecessor, the duo's sidekick steals a lot of the limelight by virtue of his character, he simply jumps off the page with depth, yes, even more intriguing than the main character. Which I personally very much enjoy, it gives the starring characters a far better dynamic as a team I think, as the main character doesn't dominate your thoughts when contemplating what may be over the next page.
If I were to choose which book is best, Dead Djinn in Cairo or The Haunting of Tram Car 015, I would have to admit the former wins. But this isn't a competition, both books are fantastic reads. And I appreciate the fact that you could read each independently of the other. This all bodes well for the upcoming full length novel, and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
stefaya's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
gillianc695a's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
gus_reads's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 ⭐ Me ha dado muchos vibes de Tintín. Entretenido, un poco sin más, pero la ambientación es muy interesante y las descripciones del autor hacen que te lo imagines todo perfectamente, sin llegar a resultar pesado.
mamoru's review against another edition
5.0
Real rating: 4.5 rounded up to 5
This is my first taste of PDC's writing and it was a wild ride! In 160 pages I went through half the emojis on the list, from laughing to rolling my eyes and biting my nails in fear. From drooling over the delicious plates described so vividly to angrily wanting to smack the MC over the head. I'm sorry but our MC, agent Hamed Nasr, is the least interesting character in the story. He's weak, sexist, stupid and boring. You could argue sexism was a staple of his time (late 19th century - early 20th century), but then we get his colleague, agent Onsi, to show us that goodwill, curiosity and intelligence will always rise above blind and unjust social norms. Where Hamed is apprehensive, condescending and bigoted about women, djinns and mechanical creatures (anything that's not a man), Onsi is welcoming, accepting and easy-going. We get constant comments from Hamed where he focuses on women's sexuality and physical appearance while being immediately put off or even scared if they don't behave in a meek and submissive way. To his credit, I'll say he puts his job above all else and will accept help and advice from women, regardless of what he might personally think of them. He is competent and experienced enough to separate his opinions from the job at hand. And he demonstrates decency and sympathy enough times that I didn't actively hate him.
Onsi is adorable. He wants to eat sudjukh and read books and talk to people about anything and everything. He's someone I'd love to hang out with in real life.
Despite the MC being male, to me, this story is about women. Women helping other women. Women being awesomely brave, interesting and whole. Women rising up as one to take their rightful place in the world. To a lesser extent, the story is also about what it means to be alive, who gets to be called "sentient" and what it means to exist in a body that doesn't belong to you. While the main plot focuses on a haunting, I was more interested in what was happening in the background: the suffragette movement. The horror aspects of dealing with a haunted tram reflected back to me the horror of living in a place where you have no bodily autonomy, no voice and no rights.
The way the mystery is solved and the creature dealt with was incredibly satisfying. The worldbuilding is PHENOMENAL and PDC lives up to his chosen name: djéli is the West African counterpart of a bard or a skald.
You can pick up this novella without any prior knowledge of the larger universe (the Dead Djinn universe series). It's completely self-contained and satisfying enough that you don't need to read anything else in the series (unless, like me, you are now eager to read everything this author has ever written). You will laugh, get scared and might even be moved to tears at certain points. The story packs a massive emotional punch and I loved engaging with all the characters, including our frustrating MC.
This is my first taste of PDC's writing and it was a wild ride! In 160 pages I went through half the emojis on the list, from laughing to rolling my eyes and biting my nails in fear. From drooling over the delicious plates described so vividly to angrily wanting to smack the MC over the head. I'm sorry but our MC, agent Hamed Nasr, is the least interesting character in the story. He's weak, sexist, stupid and boring. You could argue sexism was a staple of his time (late 19th century - early 20th century), but then we get his colleague, agent Onsi, to show us that goodwill, curiosity and intelligence will always rise above blind and unjust social norms. Where Hamed is apprehensive, condescending and bigoted about women, djinns and mechanical creatures (anything that's not a man), Onsi is welcoming, accepting and easy-going. We get constant comments from Hamed where he focuses on women's sexuality and physical appearance while being immediately put off or even scared if they don't behave in a meek and submissive way. To his credit, I'll say he puts his job above all else and will accept help and advice from women, regardless of what he might personally think of them. He is competent and experienced enough to separate his opinions from the job at hand. And he demonstrates decency and sympathy enough times that I didn't actively hate him.
Onsi is adorable. He wants to eat sudjukh and read books and talk to people about anything and everything. He's someone I'd love to hang out with in real life.
Despite the MC being male, to me, this story is about women. Women helping other women. Women being awesomely brave, interesting and whole. Women rising up as one to take their rightful place in the world. To a lesser extent, the story is also about what it means to be alive, who gets to be called "sentient" and what it means to exist in a body that doesn't belong to you. While the main plot focuses on a haunting, I was more interested in what was happening in the background: the suffragette movement. The horror aspects of dealing with a haunted tram reflected back to me the horror of living in a place where you have no bodily autonomy, no voice and no rights.
The way the mystery is solved and the creature dealt with was incredibly satisfying. The worldbuilding is PHENOMENAL and PDC lives up to his chosen name: djéli is the West African counterpart of a bard or a skald.
You can pick up this novella without any prior knowledge of the larger universe (the Dead Djinn universe series). It's completely self-contained and satisfying enough that you don't need to read anything else in the series (unless, like me, you are now eager to read everything this author has ever written). You will laugh, get scared and might even be moved to tears at certain points. The story packs a massive emotional punch and I loved engaging with all the characters, including our frustrating MC.
booksandprosecco's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
draculaura21's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
haleyloan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
straw_hat_kd's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Another short story in the Dead Djinn Universe. A tram is being haunted and two Ministry agents have to excorcise it before the women of Cairo are endangered.